Finding the Lemonade
As the pandemic began and gigs disappeared, I found it hard to focus, especially on songwriting. Featured in an article about Zoom teaching, I gained new ukulele students, gratefully keeping my voice and fingers from rusting! SeattleTimes
In September 2020, I learned about “Art 365”. The goal: do something creative every day for a year. It seemed daunting, but necessary. I dusted off my old art-making tools and got to work – a sketch a day. Eventually I posted sketches on social media. I was touched by positive response. No intention to sell anything, simply sharing colorful moments of my day. Community grew, with old and new friends around the world. As my Art 365 year was ending, folks asked me to keep going, expressing what these daily sketches meant to them – “…little jewels in my day”. I had blossomed in this practice. So I continue! To date, I have filled eight sketchbooks with whimsy, joy and even some vulnerable moments.
To see more sketches, I’m on Instagram ~ In a marriage of song and sketch, I created an animation of my song “Speck”.
~ Jean Mann
Music: http://www.jeanmann.bandcamp.com and iTunes, Spotify et al
Experiencing Jean Mann’s intimate, personable performance is akin to sitting around the kitchen table, catching up on the news of the soul. A storied, genre-hopping contemporary singer-songwriter, she performs on tenor and acoustic guitars, baritone ukulele and harmonica – all to accompany an arresting, texture-laden vocal style. With eight CD’s in her catalogue, Jean has toured regionally and nationally since 2000 and Europe since 2014.
many, this cultural reckoning and political upheaval spurred a period of personal reflection and the discovery of coping mechanisms some of us didn’t even know we had. Lockdown Lemonade is a look at the bright side. With this collection of flash creative nonfiction, brief personal essays, recollections, and musings from members of our community, we hope to shine a light on the best things that can and have come out of the most challenging of times. This column will continue on a weekly basis and postings will be released at 10 AM Pacific every Monday, so watch for them! For guidelines and submission details, please contact Julie Zipperer at